


smile

by ForLoveOfLiberTea



Series: the 'divide' collection [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Cardverse, M/M, Possibly Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-23
Updated: 2017-09-23
Packaged: 2019-01-04 08:24:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12165165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForLoveOfLiberTea/pseuds/ForLoveOfLiberTea
Summary: "And I'll still smile for you even when I'm crying inside."He drinks him in, gazes into those eyes. He's drowning yet burning, he's gasping for air, holding tight to him as if he can give him what he needs.He doesn't.[ drabble ]





	smile

**Author's Note:**

  * For [anatheme](https://archiveofourown.org/users/anatheme/gifts).
  * Inspired by [downtown scenes, shady blue](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12156666) by [anatheme (orphan_account)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/anatheme). 



**_smile_ **

i.

He's standing there again.

Alfred watches, waits, and then there she is, looping her arm through the man's arm as she drags him away none too gently, berating words snapped in the language of Salvatore following after their retreating footsteps. As he observes, Arthur smiles and laughs at her cutting tone, to which she slaps his arm in retaliation and they turn around the corner.

They're gone. 

He pushes off the wall, dusts off the least fancy clothes he's picked off the clothing racks this morning before he heads off into the opposite direction.

He feels the same sensation curling around in his gut, tugging at his heartstrings and choking him with that iron fist. It's burning, searing him deep inside and he can feel his eyes watering, yet he pulls off his glasses and rubs them away.

He can't show weakness after all.

He's the King, he's the greatest, the _strongest_ in all the Kingdom,

But how can that be, he bitterly wonders, when even he's reduced to a weak, sniveling and jealous mess at the sight of his beloved Queen with another?

 

ii.

It didn't used to be like this.

They used to be close, the best of friends who told everything and anything to each other, kept secrets and held hands in silent comfort—it had been them against the world, against all odds.

But of course, reality's always shattered man's perception of 'what could be'. 

Alfred lies down on the grass, an arm over his face. He can't do this.

He can't pretend everything's fine, everything's still the same when he sees _him_ flirting with a beautiful Marquess from another land, holding onto her hand and laughing—smiling at her the way he used to with him. 

_Gods_ , it hurts.

 

iii.

Alfred's smiling.

He drinks him in, gazes into those green, green eyes. He's drowning yet burning, he's gasping for air, holding tight to him as if he can give him what he needs.

He doesn't.

And he forces his lips to turn up, pulling them up into a smile as he offers him gifts which Arthur turns down every time. He smiles, he grins, he fakes a laugh.

He smiles, because in the end, that's all he can do. 

In the end, nothing really matters—not even the tears he's hiding deep inside when he smiles at the man he loves.


End file.
